Alexander Malfoy and the Lost Prophecy
by Imaiya
Summary: Serena, Alex, and Lily Malfoy are your average teenage witches: they have sibling feuds, first crushes, and of course, countless magical mishaps. But one day, Alex discovers a strange prophecy in Diagon Alley that could change the world that wizards acros
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Alexander Arthur Malfoy lay awake in his queen-sized bed at three in the morning. He turned to his side and caught sight of his messy room, his robes, scarves, and gloves strewn across the floor. On his other side, his night table was covered with his Hogwarts textbooks, rolls of fresh parchment and bottles of dark ink. He could hear the thunder crashing outside and smell the musty rain trickling on the windows. He smiled as he saw his Firebolt 3000 carefully perched on its mantel above his headboard. His father, Draco Malfoy, had secretly gotten it for him on his fourteenth birthday, without the knowledge of his wife.

--

_"Now Alex, don't go telling your Mum about this...but here. It's about time you got a Malfoy worthy broom," Draco Malfoy whispered. It was a bright sunny day and not a single cloud covered the clear blue sky. The conditions were ideal for a good, long Quidditch game. Despite the cheery weather, Draco nervously ran a hand through his sharply cut blond hair as he looked around his son's room for signs of his wife. _

_Alex had rarely seen his calm and collected father look so nervous, but he and his Dad both knew that when it came to Ginevra Weasley, it was best to stay on her good side._ _Alex gave one of his rare smiles. He had taken after his father with his blond hair, steel grey eyes, and skinny but toned body. Not only that, but he had also inherited proud and cool demeanor. Still, there was no mistaking that some of his Mother's traits had rubbed off on him; when it came to his family, Alex was a very caring and protective person. _

_He moved over and leaned against his bed, putting on the classic Malfoy sneer. He cocked his head and stuffed his hands into his pockets, giving the impression of an arrogant boy. _

_"Scared of Mum, Father?"_

_"No," said Draco sharply, straightening his back. "But I think we both know that it would be best not to let her know about this."_

_Alex smirked._

_"I promise Dad. Now can we go try it out?" Like his Uncle Harry, Quidditch was Alex's life. He had played on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a Chaser ever since his second year. It was a known fact that he was the best Chaser that Hogwarts had seen since his own mother. _

_"'Course. Now, grab your Quidditch robes and we'll head out to the pitch."_

--

Alex grinned even wider as he remembered when his mother had found out they had bought the ridiculously priced broom the next day. He had never seen her look so openly in shock. Even though his mother was a diehard Quidditch fan, she didn't approve of spending thousands of galleons on brooms. But even she couldn't complain when Gryffindor won the House Cup due to his spectacular goal in the final game. Still smirking at the memory, he turned around to face the wall on the other side of his bed.

This room had been his hideout for fifteen years; the blue walls and his Snitch bedspread often brought him comfort when needed. Two doors down, he could hear his younger sister, Lily Malfoy, muttering in her sleep. It had been a habit of hers ever since she was two years old; eleven years later, her late night ramblings still managed to get on her siblings' nerves. _Never shuts up,_ Alex thought.

The sound of the pouring rain drilled into Alex's head. He needed to think, unless he wanted to go insane from the showering noise. Alex shivered and grabbed the comforter from the foot of his bed. Still not tired, he contemplated last night's events; the night after his best friend, George Zabini's Christmas Bash. Alex groaned as he thought of his punishment for returning home in a drunken state; his mother, Ginevra Malfoy had not been merciful when giving him the reprimand of cleaning his and his sisters' rooms for a month. It would be easy to clean his older sister, Serena Malfoy's room, as she was the neatest of the three children, but his younger sister's room would be a hefty task. He winced as he thought of yesterday, when the punishment had been given.

--

_"ALEXANDER ARTHUR MALFOY, WHERE THE BLOODY HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" bellowed Ginny Malfoy. _

_It was __midnight__ according the ancient grandfather clock that stood tall in the corner of the family room. The large room, expertly designed and furnished by his mother, was usually lit with bright chandeliers and the occasional vanilla scented candle. Now it was dark and somber, his mother too furious to bother with lighting. Leather cream couches and Persian carpets and curtains all gave the room a European feel. Up till now, this had been Alex's favorite room. _

_"Well considering I wasn't here at home, I would guess that I've been_ out_,_ _Mother," Alex sneered. He raised his chin defiantly and stood up straight, his back erect. _

_"Now don't get cheeky with me young man. I've been worried sick. Serena had to cancel her trip to the museum because I had to stay here, waiting for you. What were you thinking, disappearing at __7:00__ in the morning and coming back at __midnight__! Your father would have had a fit. You're fifteen, and you haven't even begun showing any responsibility. Lily shows more, and she's two years younger than you! What kind of example do you think you're setting them?" _

_"Well good for Lily. I mean, we can't have two Malfoy failures, now can we?" Alex spat bitterly. "Anyway, Serena should be thanking me. She shouldn't spend so much time studying and shit anyways. She's a nerdy freak, and she doesn't need anything else like a trip to the museum. She's already seventeen, and she probably hasn't even gotten shagged yet!" Alex screamed. A small gasp caused Alex to spin around. What he saw made his stomach churn and he dug his fingernails into his palms._

_He gazed at his older red-haired sister in the entrance to the study. She looked shocked and was furiously shaking. Her grey-blue eyes, framed by thick black glasses, were glassy with tears. Her usually steady, poised hands were white at the knuckles, clutching fistfuls of her robe. Alex opened his mouth to say something- anything, but she quickly narrowed her eyes and swiftly turned on her heel, exiting the room. He returned his gaze back to his mother, afraid of what he'd see. _

_His mother, no longer looking angry but hurt, raised her hand to her temples, as if trying to relieve a migraine. "Alex! How could you say such a thing? She's your sister!" she said in a strangled voice._

_Alex's temper flared. It was always about his sisters. What were so special about them? "SO? I'm her brother. That's never stopped Lily and Serena messing with my life. I hate it. It's always been them two against me. Sometimes I just wish they'd just drop dead."_

_Ginny sharply took in a breath. She looked down and gazed at the Persian carpet. It was beautifully woven with a scene from the Final __Battle__, Harry's wand pointed at Voldemort. She paused for a moment before asking, "Is that how you truly feel? You want them dead?" She sounded disbelieving- dejected even, and it froze the boy in front of her to the core._

_Alex just stared at his mother, expressionless. For once, he was speechless. _

_Ginny calmly took a deep breath, and Alex involuntarily took a step backwards. A cold, calm mother was much more frightening than an angry one. "Alexander. I...have never been more disappointed in you. You're lucky I won't tell your father about this," Ginny said quietly, almost whispering. She raised her dark eyes, pools of dark chocolate, and Alex was horrified to see that they lacked the usual warmth that had given him comfort so many times in the past. "You will clean your sisters' rooms for a month. No buts," she continued as she turned to exit the room. She paused and whirled around quickly, not meeting her son's gaze. "It hurts me to think that you feel like that about your sisters," she concluded tearfully. With that she continued marching out of the room, leaving Alex weary and confused._

--

Alex grimaced after reliving the horrid memory. He hadn't meant to say those things about his sisters. "_She isn't a nerdy freak as I so kindly put it,"_ he thought. However, Serena _was_ extremely studious, and took after her Aunt Hermione; she was at the top of her class every year at Hogwarts and had received more O.W.L.S than anyone had in four years. Even when she was young, she spent her whole summer before her first year memorizing countless spells and practicing endless wand movements with her hairbrush. It was indeed a surprise that she was sorted into Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw, as everyone had expected.

Lily, his younger sister, and Serena had always been close. It was always them two, an inseparable team, against him. At least, that's how it felt. Alex groaned and smothered his face into his goose feather pillow. He wanted to erase what he had said, but couldn't.

Lily was the exact opposite of Serena. She had the same blonde hair as her brother, but inherited her mother's friendly brown eyes. Even more, she was sorted into Slytherin; it was no surprise to Alex, since he knew of his little sister's clever and cunning ways. Even at one year old, she had her father wrapped around her little finger. However, unlike most Slytherins, she was very bubbly and personable; in her third year, she was the most popular girl at Hogwarts and had boys ogling her at all hours of the day. Dutifully, Alex spent his whole fourth year trying to ward the endless amount of boys off his popular sister. _It is your duty as an older brother,_ his father reminded him before letting Alex board the train. Alex knew that his father couldn't stand the thought of either of his daughters having more than friendly relations with the opposite sex; truth was, Alex couldn't stand it either.

Ever since Lily was born, she and Serena had been best friends, despite the age difference. When Serena was being teased, and Alex wasn't there, she'd lift her chin proudly and tell off the seventh year boys that were harassing her older sister. "No one messes with a Malfoy, so bugger off," she would exclaim proudly. Alex smiled fondly at the thought, but it quickly turned to a frown. He groaned and smothered his face into his fluffy pillow. He wanted to erase what he had said, but couldn't. Why did he have to go and say those things to Serena? He hardly ever saw his older sister show such a display of emotion in public.

It began to rain even harder and Alex got up to close the curtains in an attempt to drown out the endless crashing happening outside his window. Minutes after returning to his bed, Alex sharply whipped his head to his bedroom door. _No...it can't be_. But sure enough, outside his room, he could hear quiet, erratic sobs. _Can't be Lily_, he thought. Lily hardly cried. The only time he had seen his youngest sister cry in public was when she had fallen off her new broomstick at her tenth birthday party. Alex's father made it very clear that her injury was of the utmost importance, and he skipped work so he could pamper her and her injured wrist. It was typical though; the girls were always the center of attention.

Quickly grabbing his twelve inch mahogany wand, Alex tossed his bedspread aside and swung his feet over the bed. He trudged through his endless piles of clothing and quietly tiptoed out of his room.

As the sobs began to get louder, Alex quickened his pace. His feet hit the cold floor of the Malfoy Manor's corridors, sending shivers up his spine. The torches that graced the marble walls were burned out, and the corridors were somber and dark. He quickly climbed down the long winding stairs, and descended onto the second floor. Listening carefully, he tiptoed toward the right hallway.

He tried to stay alert and glanced behind him. No one. Portraits of his ancestors graced the marble walls, all whispering amongst themselves. "Great," Alex breathed. "Just what I need. Fucking lunatics in a photo frame."

"You'll want to head over there. To the study. Oh, and I heard that, by the way."

Alex turned quickly, his wand drawn. He let out a breath of relief as he saw the voice came from Marius Malfoy, an old ancestor enclosed in a gold photo frame.

"Who's in the study? And don't lie to me. You know what I can do," Alex said coldly. He had never liked the Malfoy portraits, ever since he had heard the story of his grandfather, Lucius Malfoy. He had never seen Lucius' portrait and had no intent on doing so.

Marius simply shrugged.

_"Bloody impossible,"_ Alex muttered. Letting out a groan of frustration, he continued down the dark hallway. He stopped in front of the study with a sudden halt. _He was right_, he thought disbelievingly. The sobs _did_ seem to be coming from inside the large room. He began to get nervous and wish he'd woken up Lily. She always liked an adventure.

Alex desperately tried to find his inner Malfoy. A million thoughts were running through his head; the main one being that he wanted to run away and sink in his bed. False confidence was what he needed at the moment- or a good pep talk. Alex straightened his back and tried to rid himself of the thoughts that were wreaking havoc at the back of his mind. _What am I scared of?" _Alex thought_. "The Manor had some of the most powerful wards ever created; no one got in without his father or mother knowing about it." _He put on his classic Malfoy sneer reflexively; it was more of a shield for him than a mocking expression. Nothing to be scared of; it became his new mantra. And besides, Malfoys don't get scared. _Just cautious,_ he thought. Racking his brain with all the hexes he knew of, he slowly turned the brass knob of the mahogany doorway and entered the room, his wand drawn out in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: Hi:)**

**So just to introduce this story, I'll start off by saying that this is my first fan****fiction story ever. I'm usually a non-fiction writer, so forgive me if this story isn't that great. This story idea has been nagging me forever, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to expand on my writing portfolio :) I'll try to update often!**

**Anyway, enough of my blabbering. On to the show (or story. -laughs- Oh my. What a lame joke :p )**

**Love, Imaiya**

--

CHAPTER TWO

"S- Serena?" Alex asked as he saw at his eldest sister on the opposite side of the room. Serena looked up and widened her eyes at the sight of her armed brother.

The study was a large, open room, very similar to the Headmaster's office in Hogwarts. There was only one elaborate window situated on the other side of the room and a large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. The walls could never be seen because of the overwhelming amount of bookcases and desks that the Malfoy family had inherited. The study was a place where Draco did most of his Auror work when he wasn't at the Ministry. Usually, no one was allowed here because of the potentially dangerous information that he left behind.

Right now, the study was dark, almost dark enough to make it impossible to focus on any object in the room. But the moon was shining brightly this night, and brought in a ray of light through the window. Crouched on the window's ledge was Serena Malfoy, her mouth open and her grey-blue eyes filled with surprise. Her red hair was up in a messy bun and she was still wearing her clothes from that morning.

"Serena," Alex repeated. "What- what are you doing here?"

Serena quickly scrambled off the ledge and stood up, immediately wiping away any of the surprise from her eyes. It was a stance that Alex recognized well; she used it when she was feeling vulnerable. She now placed both her hands on her hips and arched a single eyebrow.

"Why do you care?" Serena sneered, her chin raised. Alex said nothing. "Brought someone for me to shag? I really _do_ appreciate all the concern you have for my sex life." She menacingly narrowed her eyes

Alex winced. It was one thing to hear your parents talking about sex; it was a completely different one to hear your _sister_ talk about it. "You didn't answer my question," Alex said. It was crucial to dodge her previous question at all costs; he didn't want to talk any further about...well, you know.

"Why should I?" Serena asked. Seeing that Alex was not going to give up that easy, she replied. "If you must know, I was just- studying."

"At three in the morning? In the middle of July?" Alex resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Surely Serena could come up with something better than _that_.

Serena simply continued to gaze at him with hate filled eyes, her lips set in a straight line. Alex knew she was trying to make him feel uncomfortable so he would leave, and it was beginning to work. Desperate to rid himself of her intense stare, he tried another tactic. Apologizing. " I'm sorry for what I said, O.K?" Alex winced once more. His 'apology' sounded much more tactless than what he was going for.

Serena gave a short laugh; it was an emotionless, cold laugh. "No, not O.K. _Nothing_ you say can make this O.K, Alexander." Her expression began to waver. She now showed something much worse than anger. Dejection. Serena Malfoy, always confident, and never openly vulnerable in her seventeen years of life, now looked like she had just given up the Quidditch Cup. Alex thought he'd never see the day.

Serena paused for a moment, her eyes lowered to the ground. Abruptly, she gave Alex a small smile. "But I'm not angry at you, if that's what you're worried about," she began. "I think you're the only one that has actually told me the truth. I _am_ a nerdy freak who hasn't got shagged. And thanks to you, now I know it for myself." She bitterly laughed.

Alex felt his stomach drop and his hands turn clammy. This was not what he wanted to hear. He needed to fix this. "Serena, I was wrong. I was angry, that's all. You're _not_ a nerdy freak."

"People's real emotions come out in uncomfortable situations," Serena replied cryptically. Alex crinkled his eyebrows; he recognized that saying from somewhere.

"Dad. He told us when he and Uncle Ron were arguing," Serena reminded, as if reading Alex's mind.

"Whatever. Listen, that saying doesn't apply here. I don't think that you're...I don't think that about you, I swear. I was just angry. Now will you please go back to your room before Mum or Dad finds us here?"

"No. You can go, but I'm staying here." She turned back to the window.

Alex crossed his arms and stood there defiantly. "I'm not leaving without you."

Serena snorted. "Don't act all protective now. You made your feelings toward me very clear yesterday. They weren't all that protective."

Alex felt himself getting angrier by the second. _"What more does she want?"_ he thought frustratingly. He'd already apologized, and had tried reasoning with her. It was as if she was taunting him. The more she stood there with that irritating smirk, the more furious Alex felt. He knew that _he_, of all people, shouldn't be getting frustrated, but that's what he felt.

"Will you stop being such a baby? You get teased all the time. What does it matter?" Alex snapped.

Serena evilly smiled and cocked her head to her right. "Oh, its not the _teasing_ Alex." She paused and grinned even wider. "I'm just waiting for a good shag."

That was it. Alex reached his breaking point and by the looks of it, Serena knew it too. She stepped back and bumped into the window ledge, her eyes looking a little frightened.

She opened her mouth to say something but stopped as she saw Alex menacingly walking forward. His head was spinning and his legs felt stiff. His heart was beating furiously and the blood rushed to his ears.

"You know what Serena?" Alex spat angrily. He took another step forward. "Maybe you never get shagged because you're so. Fucking. Stubborn." Serena gave a little gasp, but Alex continued on. "You think you're the only victim here. But if you'd been listening to _anything_ I've been saying so far, you'd know that I'm sorry for what I've said. Stop thinking about yourself, damn it. I haven't gotten ANY sleep, Mum probably hates me, and on top of that, I have to clean your fucking rooms! You don't think it's hard for me? To have two sisters always teamed up together against you?" Alex was now right in front of Serena, towering over her, his nostrils flaring and his eyes blazing. He was taller than her by at least three inches, which didn't help to make him seem any less intimidating. Serena was frozen not knowing what to say. They stood there for what seemed like hours. Suddenly, Alex stumbled backwards, his face masked with shock.

"I'm-I'm sorry Serena. I shouldn't have done that," Alex stuttered. He breathed in heavily and closed his eyes. _"Why did I have to go and do that?"_ he thought miserably. He counted to five and opened his eyes to see Serena hesitantly walk towards him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Alex," she began. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way."

"Yeah, well..." Alex muttered. "I do."

Serena removed her hand from his shoulder and stepped back so Alex could see her face. She began to speak. "Alex, no matter what Lily and I say or do, we always love you. I thought you knew that." She smirked, and with good reason. It wasn't a Malfoy habit to express sentimental emotions. "And the reason I got so upset wasn't because of what you said, but the fact that you looked like you _meant_ it. It's just that I always thought that no matter what other people said about me, my family always unconditionally loved me. And what you said yesterday just brought that all to an end. I know I'm not popular like Lily, and no boy really likes me." She blushed and gave a strange, short giggle. Alex cringed. Serena wasn't the giggling type. "But you guys I can always depend on. And that's what really keeps me- happy." Serena stopped speaking and smiled, looking more happy right then than she had in days. She looked flustered as if she had been wanting to say this for a very long time; Alex didn't doubt that she had.

Alex cleared his throat and paused. "Well then... those boys are idiots," he stated seriously. He cracked a small grin and Serena gave a chuckle. Secretly, Alex breathed a sigh of relief. He and his sister were now back on friendly terms.

Serena let out a small yawn. "Well I'm going to bed now. We have to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow don't we?"

"Yeah, I think. New year and all."

"Well g'night then." She gave him a peck on the cheek and walked towards the door. As she was about to leave, Alex spun around and took a step forward to the door.

"Wait," he said.

Serena turned around and impatiently tapped her foot. After a few moments she rolled her eyes and said, "What?"

"I love you guys too," Alex said clearly. It felt as if a weight lifted of his chest. "And I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I didn't mean it."

Serena smiled understandingly. "I know you didn't. Get some sleep. We'll need it for tomorrow." And with that, she walked out of the room. Alex stood there until she left and quickly looked around the study and found his wand. Stuffing it in his pocket, Alex ran out the door, towards the comfort of his warm bed. It had been a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

**A/N: I can't believe that I haven't thanked my fantastic beta yet! :P **

**So to L.Asdas, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Anyway, back to the story ****J I hope you like this chapter! Please read and review! Thank you :)**

Alex woke up late next morning to a friendly ray of sunshine peeking through his window. Yesterday's rainstorm had passed and a colorful rainbow streaked the blue sky. Alex smirked at the clichéd scene and sleepily turned his gaze towards the grandfather clock (an old Malfoy heirloom) standing in the corner of his room. Ten o'clock. He yawned and climbed out of his bed, shivering at the coolness of the hardwood floors against his bare feet. He looked down and instantly felt a little bit of dread. Seeing his messy room reminded him of his looming punishment. He'd have to clean his sisters' rooms after breakfast; his mum would make sure of it.

He grabbed a pair of unwashed trousers from the floor and slipped them on while searching his room for his wand. After locating it on top of his copy of the 30th edition of _Hogwarts: A History _(courtesy of his Aunt Hermione), he walked out his room towards the dining room to meet with the rest of his family.

Alex slept well last night, considering that he had been woken up at three in the morning. It may have been dreadful timing, but the emotional conversation with Serena last night made up for it. He now had his sister back on friendly terms, something that, although he wouldn't admit it, he desperately needed. If Serena hated him, then he'd truly be alone in the house, since Lily would have surely taken her sister's side. Cheering up at his good fortune, he broke into a light jog; he could almost smell the heavenly scent of the elves' famous blueberry pancakes. Just as he was about to reach the stairs leading towards the dining table, he abruptly stopped.

A few doors behind him was Lily's room. He'd always pass it every morning before arriving downstairs, but today something was very different. It was _silent_. Cautiously, Alex crept towards the closed door. Lily was notorious for sleeping in late, something that never failed to annoy his mother. Along with the extra hours of sleep that she got every morning, there were always mumbles that accompanied them. And right now, there wasn't even a single sound coming from the room, let alone mumbles. Alex nervously opened the door and walked into the room wand drawn. It reminded him oddly of yesterday night; he hoped he wouldn't have to face another upset sister.

Inside, it was very still. Like his room, there was a single tall window on one side of the room that let in the sun's rays. The green satin sheets on top of her bed were messily thrown aside into a small pile on the cream carpet. Beside the bed laid countless spell books and pages of parchment that were messily strewn across her night table. _'Probably last minute assignments,'_ thought Alex. Across the room, her closet was wide open with only a few sweaters hanging on the hangers. For a split second, Alex's heart stopped, thinking Lily had run away. But as he caught sight of her two trunks in the corner of the room, he gave a small laugh. Of course. Tomorrow they were leaving for King's Cross. '_Typical Lily. Still hasn't packed yet,'_ Alex thought with a smirk. He walked over to the trunks and peered inside. Clothes were neatly folded and placed inside. He frowned. There were no books. '_What's Lily going to do with no books?' _he thought, confused. A few moments later, he remembered_._ They were supposed to go to Diagon Alley this morning. That's probably why she was up this early in the morning. His mum said that they were leaving at -

Alex froze and his breath hitched. They were leaving at _ten o'clock_. Alex spun around and looked at the small goblin made clock on Lily's night table, a gift from Uncle Bill. _Ten past ten__._ Without another thought, Alex dashed out of the room and headed for the stairs.

How could he have been so stupid, he thought frustratingly as he reached the winding stairs. He sped down them, taking the steps two at a time. It was only yesterday night that Serena reminded him about Diagon Alley. If it were any other day, it probably wouldn't have been a big deal that he'd come down late. But every year, since Serena's first year of school, Ginevra Malfoy would enter into a state of frightful hysteria the day before the kids left for Hogwarts. Alex shuddered as he rememberedlast year when they visited Diagon Alley a day before leaving for school. What had been a simple trip with the intentions of buying some extra Floo powder had turned to a wild hunt for Lily, who had gotten lost in Knockturn Alley. They found her in a very suspicious looking store (Alex thought he caught sight of some shrunken heads) amidst several banshees that were trying to sell her some interesting looking "treats". Alex had never seen his mother look so relieved and angry at the same time. After a feverish hug and thorough examination for any sign of damage, she had fixed her hand to Lily's for the rest of the trip and scolded her properly when they got home. Even his father, who hated to see any of his children get yelled at, stayed out of it and with good reason, in Alex's opinion. He had learned a long time ago that an angry Weasley should be treated like an angry bull. Alex shuddered again, thinking of another possible punishment that he would have to face.

Alex was running down the long hallway when he skidded to a halt. To his right were the swinging doors leading into the off-limits Malfoy kitchen. He had snuck into it a couple of times when he was younger for an extra snack, but the last time he did, he was caught by his father. Saying that he might disturb the elves or spoil his appetite, he had been forbidden to go into them. Alex thought about how much time had passed since he had last checked the time. It had to be at least a couple of minutes, leaving him almost fifteen minutes late. Considering that they had to buy _all_ their school books, his mum should be ready to crack about now. Alex weighed his options. If he went through the kitchen passageway, he'd reach the dining room in less than a minute; continuing walking down the long hallway and _then_ another flight of stairs would take much longer. Making up his mind, Alex glanced around him and pushed the kitchen doors open.

Immediately as he entered the room, Alex's senses were overwhelmed. Bustling around him were ten house-elves, all sporting green and gold uniforms bearing the Malfoy crest. Half carried countless platters, loaded with the day's meals while others scurried about from each corner of the room passing messages and barking orders. Trolleys were rolled around loaded with fresh loaves of bread and delicious pastries, and baskets filled with jams and butter were clumsily carried in and out of the kitchen. Each house elf seemed completely immersed in their work and none of them seemed to notice the tall boy walk into their kitchen. Suddenly, Alex felt a tug at his leg.

"Binky!"

The short house elf gave a deep bow and looked up with his large green eyes.

"Would young Master like something to eat?" Binky asked earnestly. He gestured to one of the trolleys.

"No, that's all right," Alex replied, although he _was_ quite hungry. "Um, Binky. Mind doing me a favor?"

Binky's eyes brightened at the prospect of serving one of his masters. "Of course!"

"Oh, thanks. Well, could you show me the passage from the kitchen to the dining room?" Alex saw Binky's eyes darken and his ears droop. Just as the elf was about to open his mouth and say something, Alex hastily cut in. "I know I'm not supposed to, but I'm sure Da – I mean 'Master' wouldn't mind." He finished off with an innocent smile.

Binky hesitated for a few seconds, before splitting into a wide grin. "Of course! I am being paid to only serve the Masters of this house, am I not?" Alex smiled even wider.

"Thanks, I'll owe you."

Hearing this, Binky gave a small leap in the air, and grabbed Alex's hand. He led Alex across the kitchen to a doorway located in the middle of the brick wall. It resembled the shifting doorway that led into Diagon Alley.

"Thanks Binky," Alex said quickly. He didn't know how much time had already passed.

"'Tis my pleasure to please the young master. Now, if you will forgive me, I must return to the preparations of today's lunch." Binky bowed deeply one last time, and scurried off to the other side of the kitchen.

Alex turned away from the kitchen and ran down the dark passageway. It was much like the corridors that led to the dungeons in Hogwarts, except these were much better lit. Torches hung on the sides of the walls, emitting a fire that softly glowed in the passageway's darkness. As Alex continued to run, he felt the ground slope upwards. '_It must be reaching the dining room,'_ Alex thought with relief. Towards the end of the passage, he could see a large door, and voices coming from the other side. '_Angry voices,_' Alex thought nervously. He reached the door, swung it open and stepped into the room.

The Malfoy family was sitting around the elaborately carved oak table and didn't notice Alex enter the room. The antique table, handed down through the Malfoy generations, extended from one side of the room to the other. At the head of the table on the opposite side of the room sat Draco Malfoy, reading his paper with keen interest while forking pieces of his sausage into his mouth. Beside him sat Serena, deep in conversation with Lily; neither had seemed to touch their breakfast. Just as Alex was about to clear his throat, the door closest to his father opened, and in walked a very flustered looking Ginevra Weasley.

"Well I've checked his room," she began. "And he's –." She stopped with her mouth still open as she caught Alex standing on the other side of the room.

"Hi Mum," Alex said meekly.

Neither spoke. Sensing an arising yelling match, Serena spoke up. "Mum –."

His mother held up her hand and Serena shut her mouth. She began to tap her foot impatiently while pursing her lips.

"Where have you been? Didn't I say ten o'clock?" Ginny said. Her voice was oddly high.

Alex forced himself not to roll his eyes. His mum was most definitely in a hysterical state. "I'm sorry Mum," Alex began. "Just overslept. And besides, I'm only fifteen minutes late. It's not like Flourish & Blotts will close." Alex flinched. That last bit had been a very bad thing to say.

Ginny began nervously pacing the room behind Draco. Draco put down his paper and cleared his throat. "Gin, I think Alex's right. You do this all time; really, the boy's only fifteen minutes late." He gave a quick glance at Alex and grinned. Alex grinned back. He just might get out of this unscathed. 

Ginny stopped pacing and spun around on her husband. "What if Flourish & Blotts _does_ close down?" she screeched. "Serena's taking her N.E.W.T.'s this year! What if she won't be able to get any of her textbooks? She'll fail her exams!" By now, Ginny was flushed in the face and her eyes were wide in panic. She started to pace once again. "She's Head Girl for heaven's sake! What will Professor Lorander say about this?"

At that, Alex _had _to roll his eyes. Professor Lorander was the Headmaster at Hogwarts and was practically in love with Serena. To him, she was the model pupil and could do no wrong. The day that Professor Lorander spoke ill of Serena was the day that Alex's father dyed his hair purple.

Draco got up from his seat and put a reassuring arm around his wife. "Gin, you've got to calm down. The chances of Flourish & Blotts closing down are near impossible. See here, we're wasting time worrying over nothing. Why don't we get a move on? Didn't you say the Weasleys and Potters are going to meet us at The Leaky Cauldron?"

Ginny looked up and smiled weakly at Draco. "Yes, I suppose you're right." She turned back to Alex and said, "I'm sorry dear, I overreacted. But you know how I get the day before you kids leave. It's very stressful."

Alex laughed. "That's alright Mum." Alex made a note to thank his father once they were out of earshot of Ginny.

"Well come on then," Ginny said, heading for the fireplace on the other side of the room. "I promised Hermione that I'd take Rose to Madame Malkin's."

Alex stepped forward to follow, but then stopped as he realized he was still in his pajamas.

"But I'm not even dressed!" Alex protested.

Lily, who had been patiently listening to the entire conversation from her seat, now piped up. "Alex, would you really want to make us _even_ _more_ late? Honestly, think of Serena's N.E.W.T's!" She said this all with a mischievous grin plastered on her face.

Draco snorted and looked fondly at Lily. "Alex, I think your sister's right." He too had a wide grin.

Alex shot both of them deathly glares. "Fine," he muttered.

Ginny beckoned the girls to follow her to the fireplace while Draco lagged behind. He motioned for Alex to come near him.

"Here," Draco began as he shoved Alex a pair of robes. "I just said that to go along with Lily. We can't have a _Malfoy_ dressed in pajamas in public!"

Alex smiled gratefully and shoved the robes over his head. They both hurried to the fireplace and saw that the girls had already left.

"I'll go first," Draco said turning to Alex. He grabbed a fistful of Floo powder and stepped into the large mantel. "If anything goes wrong, go into the nearest building. We'll owl you."

"I'll be fine Dad."

Draco sniggered. "They always say that." With a final smirk, he tossed the Floo powder and pronounced clearly, "_Diagon Alley!"_ After the smoke cleared out, the mantel became empty once again. 

Alex grabbed some Floo powder out of the pot and stepped into the dirty fireplace. He'd never liked using the Floo, but his mother always said that it was a hassle to book a car to get to the shifting passageway near the Leaky Cauldron. Alex clamped his elbows to his sides and tightly gripped his wand in his left hand. Throwing down the Floo powder with his right arm, he cried out, "_Diagon Alley."_ A few seconds later, he felt the familiar sensation of his body being drawn into the chimney and soot flying up his nose. Alex squeezed his eyes and braced himself for the banging and thrashing that were sure to follow. His ears started to pound, and his heart was beating furiously in his rib cage. Through the smoke, he could catch glimpses of the dining room disappearing from his sight. And just moments later, it all became a whirlwind of darkness.

**A/N: What do you think? Good, bad? Please continue to review. I a little disappointed in my sole 2 reviews, so far. I have decided at least 2 more reviews, and only then will I update once more. Not to be mean, but I can't really improve without your guys' such great reviews! :D Thanks!**

**Love, Imaiya**


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